We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nehyalauni Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nehyalauni, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

When I first started TOORAWWWPHOTOS LLC, I was nervous from the start. I was trying to figure out all of the ins and outs of running a business. When I officially started taking photos and getting a business license I had a team of close friends/family(Kamryn Johnson, Te’onna Coker, Hunter Green, Aaliyah Richards, & Kernise Simon). We would meet at my moms pool house & have team meetings. Of course working with friends/family you have to account for different responsibilities as well as what’s good for the business! With that being said TOORAWWWPHOTOS LLC, officially welcomed Kaitlin Durant as an additional photographer! She has attended some of the biggest events for TOORAWWWPHOTOS LLC, and has shown that she has what it takes to capture the best photos. Kamryn Johnson has been one of TOORAWWWPHOTOS LLC, biggest influencer while maintaining the business. He is in charge of all visuals/flyers/business cards etc. He has been there for every photoshoot as well as every video shoot and I honestly couldn’t be where am I today without him! Te’onna Coker, Hunter Green and Kernise Simon make up the Social Media team! They constantly help share all of our post as well as make sure we get all the advertising we need! I can’t thank you all enough for your constant support. Aaliyah Richards has been there supporting TOORAWWWPHOTOS LLC, & is always finding ways to make the business better. She also has stepped in the field & can take top tier photos ! As you can see we have a strong team that works together perfectly to be where we are today. Could I have taken a different route? Yes! However, the route that I am taking has gotten me more opportunities than I could ever imagine; with the team that I built from the ground up ! This team started with one little camera meeting up at a pool house back in 2021 to now owning a building that will officially open June 1, 2023!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I was a Senior in high school I took digital photography with Mr. Lee at St. Francis Catholic High School. At first I’m going to be honest I just had it as an extra elective. I never thought having this class would turn me into a business owner! However, he mad us do an assign along the lines of taking a photo of something up close that nobody could guess what it was. Well I did a close up of one of my friends spiked hair. It came out looking like I took a picture of a porcupine. From that moment I knew I wanted to become a photographer. I have always been so indecisive it was hard to figure out I was just going to do this because I knew I could be good or did I actually have a passion for it. Well after going to school for accounting and switching schools left and right. I finally put my mind to it and bought my first camera in 2020. I would take little photo shoots if my siblings and family members just to get the experience. Next thing I know it’s April 2021, and I am officially a business owner of TOORAWWWPHOTOS LLC. Building a team was okie of the easier things to do because I surround myself with people that support each other. I think one of the challenges I faced during the first year was trying to promote myself. I have a regular 9-5 job as a manager at Pizza Hut which I use to support any business needs. So naturally starting/running a business with another job can be difficult but with the support from my team we have managed to stay on top ! One of my proudest thing I hear often is that my prices are fairly cheap. The reason being is our motto: “More Than An Emblem”. This means that’s it’s more than the cost and more focused on the product. I personally have a strong passion for taking photos and I love being able to meet new people in between!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I think the most effective strategy for growing your clientele is just word of mouth. By this I mean it’s one thing for me to tell you I’m the best at what I do but it’s another thing to have. recommendations that’s support that.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Facebook honestly. If nobody has any social media almost everybody has Facebook. It has gotten me so many opportunities just by me posting and my social media team going behind me sharing and liking each post.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: 2RAWWWPHOTOS
• Facebook: 2RAWWWPHOTOS
• Youtube: 2RAWWW PHOTOS
• Other: FB: Nehyalauni Johnson

Image Credits
Kaitlin Durant, Nehyalauni Johnson, Aaliyah Richards, Hunter Green, Te’onna Coker, & Kamryn Johnson